American 100m Hurdler Nichole Denby has expressed her delight to be part of the first-ever International track and field meet in Ghana, the RLG Ghana Grand Prix.
The 28 year old, who was a member of the 2007 US World Championship team, is one of the foreign athletes invited by the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) for the August 6th meet at the Baba Yara stadium in Kumasi.
The GAA is using the competition to provide a platform for local athletes to compete with their international counterparts.
But for Nicole Denby, the competition also provides her with a unique opportunity to come to Africa for the first time and she is excited at the prospect of the visit.
“I have never been to Africa before,” she said adding of the GAA officials that she had spoken to, “I have enjoyed the people that I have spoken with from Ghana so far.
“They have been really been a delightful people and they have been really nice.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting them at the first ever Ghana Grand Prix. It will be pretty fun and pretty cool.”
The Ghana Grand Prix would also bring together international track & field champions from USA, Jamaica, Kenya, Canada, Ethiopia, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Uganda, Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, South Africa and Ghana.
Nicole, who won the 2004 NCAA 100m Hurdles in the USA, feels the competition would bring lots of benefits for local athletes in the country.
“I think it is good for smaller countries to have good exposure and a chance to compete in International competitions against athletes they will not normally get a chance to compete against.”
“So I think it is good for shining the light on smaller countries like Ghana.”
“It is also good for the local athletes of Ghana and elsewhere in Africa to compete against their counterparts from other parts of the world.”
“That is why I want to be part of it (Ghana Grand Prix).”
Nicole Denby is one of the all-time best hurdlers in the world with an impressive personal best time of 12.54 seconds in Eugene, OR on 6th July, 2008.
Source: Erasmus Kwaw
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